Confused by CBC policy

Dear Editor: Following my failed attempt at getting Rick Mercer to stop using the woman hating phrase “see you next Tuesday” (and an extended period in therapy) I find myself once again at the barricades of Fortress CBC. Why, I wonder, does CBC Radio pay Numeris (formerly the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement) for ratings?

Naturally the CBC couldn’t answer such a foolish question from one such as I, after all isn’t winning the ratings why radio stations exist? Well commercial radio stations maybe, but then it’s not like CBC radio sells commercials. Nor is being in “The Book” — as ratings are known in the industry — cheap. In fact it’s so expensive that some commercial stations aren’t even in The Book.

To the CBC’s credit they did reply when I asked how much they were spending with Numeris, unfortunately, due to contractual requirements it’s “confidential.” I can’t really come up with an estimate myself, but considering there are more CBC radio stations than daily newspapers I’m guessing it’s a lot.

It’s not that ratings wouldn’t be a useful tool when dealing with their political masters or making programming decisions, but there are cheaper ways to come up audience numbers, after all they do their own music chart. Besides, they already have a very clear performance guide in the CBC mandate.

Anyway the therapy has been most beneficial, although I’m sure I’ll need more after I ask the Tax Payers’ Network how much they’ve paid out in sexual harassment settlements — and whether they require the accusers to sign non-disclosure agreements. In the meantime I take comfort in knowing private radio shows it’s greater feminist sensitivities by refusing to playing Shooter Jennings’ Put the O Back in Country. Scott Robinson Penticton